2020 OREGON ACTION PLAN for Implementation of Department Of

2020 OREGON ACTION PLAN For Implementation of Department of the Interior Secretarial Order 3362: “Improving Habitat Quality in Western Big-Game Winter Range and Migration Corridors” Introduction Secretarial Order 3362 (SO3362) directs appropriate bureaus (US Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS], National Park Service [NPS], and Bureau of Land Management [BLM]) within the Department of the Interior (DOI) to work in close partnership with the State of Oregon to enhance and improve the quality of big-game winter range and migration corridor habitat on Federal lands under the management jurisdiction of the DOI in a way that recognizes state authority to conserve and manage big-game species and respects private property rights. Through scientific endeavors and land management actions, wildlife such as Rocky Mountain Elk (elk), Mule Deer (deer), Pronghorn Antelope (pronghorn), and a host of other species will benefit. Conditions in the broader landscape influence the function of migration corridors and sustainability of big game populations. Such conditions may include habitat fragmentation, land use patterns, resource management, or urbanization. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), through the USDA Forest Service (USFS) and USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), will collaborate with DOI, the states, and other natural resource managers across the broader landscape when developing an all-lands approach to research, planning, and management for ecological resources, to include migration corridors in a manner that promotes the welfare and populations of elk, deer, and pronghorn, as well as the ecological integrity of terrestrial ecosystems in Oregon. There are just over 62 million acres of land in Oregon, of which approximately 51% (31.9 million acres) is either DOI or Forest Service (USFS) managed. The USFS manages about 25% (15.5 million acres), with DOI managing the rest (25% BLM, 1% USFWS and >1%NPS) (see map Appendix A). The landscapes necessary to maintain ungulate winter range and migration routes are becoming increasingly fragmented across the western United States due to human encroachment from agriculture (Donald and Evans 2006), residential development and urban sprawl (Johnson et. al 2018, Radeloff et. al 2005, Wyckoff et. al 2018), roadway expansion (Coe et. al 2015, Johnson 2001, Simpson et. al 2016), and natural resource extraction (Hennings and Soll 2012, Lendrum et. al 2013, Sawyer et. al 2017). Secretarial Order 3362, Improving Habitat Quality in Western Big-Game Winter Range and Migration Corridors, recognizes the need to enhance critical migratory corridors and winter range on Federal lands. The Order further directs the DOI to collaborate with both the State and Tribal agencies to attain or sustain wildlife population goals. Additional important partners in 1 helping achieve Oregon’s goals are both the national Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). In Oregon, the BLM administers 15.7 million acres of land, primarily in southeastern Oregon and along the Interstate 5 corridor of western Oregon. Native ungulates, including mule deer, elk, and pronghorn, occur throughout BLM lands, and commonly migrate 30-65 miles between seasonal ranges. While federal land management agencies and State and National transportation agencies influence wildlife habitat and movement, ultimately the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is responsible for ungulate management on federal lands in Oregon. Robust and sustainable elk, deer, and pronghorn populations contribute greatly to the economy and well-being of communities across the West. In fact, hunters and tourists travel to Western States from across our Nation and beyond to pursue and enjoy this wildlife. In doing so, they spend billions of dollars at large and small businesses that are crucial to State and local economies. The DOI has a responsibility as a manager with large landholdings to be a collaborative neighbor and steward of the resources held in trust. Secretarial Order 3362 directs the DOI to work with State partners and others to conserve and/or improve priority western big- game winter range and migration corridors in sagebrush ecosystems and in other ecotypes as necessary. Collectively, the appropriate bureaus within the DOI have an opportunity to serve in a leadership role and take the initiative to work closely with Western States on their priorities and objectives as they relate to big-game winter range and migration corridors on lands managed by the DOI, and by the USFS with their cooperation. In addition, if private landowners are interested and willing, conservation may occur on lands within these important areas through voluntary agreements. This Oregon Action Plan identifies opportunities for habitat restoration and mitigation efforts to improve big game winter range and migratory areas in four areas in the state, including mitigation of transportation infrastructure and control of western juniper and exotic annual grasses, as well as a research priority to assist in understanding migration corridors, winter range, and stop-over areas for Roosevelt elk on DOI-managed lands in southwestern Oregon. Habitat Needs (Corridor/Winter Range) U.S. Highway 97 and OR Highway 31 Maintenance of movement corridors is a critical component of wildlife conservation, and is particularly important for terrestrial species that migrate, such as elk and mule deer. These long- distance movements between winter and summer ranges often bring wildlife into conflict with humans. In particular, ungulates are susceptible to wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC) on the numerous roads and highways that bisect historic migratory routes. Mule deer winter ranges in 2 south-central Oregon are populated by 18,000 – 22,000 animals, many of which migrate from summer ranges in the high Cascades. Analyses from 492 mule deer tracked by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) using GPS collars from 2005 to 2011 indicate that many critical migratory corridors overlap U.S. Highway 97 and OR Highway 31 (Figure 1, Coe et al. 2015), and that a significant number of WVC occur each year, particularly during migration periods (Figure 2). Highway 97 is a major travel route from Oregon to California and Nevada and is currently undergoing expansion to add a number of passing lanes to facilitate traffic flow. Expansion is expected to increase WVCs with migrating mule deer, potentially having an additive impact on already depressed mule deer herds. Figure 1: Relative risk of mule deer–vehicle collision (light pink to dark red = low to high risk) and probability of use during migration (light gray to dark gray = low to high probability of use) on U.S. Highway 97 and Oregon Highway 31 in south-central Oregon (From Coe et al. 2015) 3 Figure 2: Location of intersection of U.S. Highway 97 with OR Highway 31 in south-central Oregon, along with annual average wildlife-vehicle collisions per mile. Surrounding habitat is largely ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine forest, harvested forest, and western juniper woodland, transitioning to sagebrush steppe to the east. The communities of La Pine and Gilchrist surround the intersections of U.S. 97 and OR-31 and U.S. 97 and OR-58, respectively. Land management is a mix of private, state, and federal (Figure 3). USFS manages most of the surrounding landscape, with significant private ownership on either side of U.S. 97 and in agricultural development east of OR-31. Timber harvest is the primary land use on private lands bordering U.S. 97. Public lands see high recreational use from the surrounding communities and the nearby city of Bend, including OHV use, dispersed hiking, and camping. 4 Figure 3: Land management of lands surrounding U.S. Highway 97 and OR-31 in south-central Oregon In addition to high densities of WVCs along U.S. 97 and OR-31, risks and threats to big game in this area include human recreation, illegal harvest, and disease. ODFW, ODOT, the Oregon Hunter’s Association (OHA), Oregon Wildlife Foundation (OWF), and other partner groups have proposed a series of wildlife crossing structures along U.S. Highway 97 and Oregon Highway 31, based on a 7-year study of mule deer migration in south-central Oregon and concurrent 5-year deer-vehicle mortality study along both highways. ODOT is planning to incorporate passage structures for wildlife opportunistically, where topography and funding allows, as passing lanes are constructed along Highway 97. A single dedicated wildlife underpass and a multi-use underpass were installed near Sunriver, OR, in 2012. An additional wildlife underpass, and associated directional fencing, was constructed in 2020 alongside the newest series of passing lanes on U.S. Highway 97, near mile marker 180 north of the community of Gilchrist. Directional fencing, however, remains incomplete. Funding was awarded to ODOT through SO3362 for the purchase of deer guards. Although materials costs have 5 been covered, ODOT and ODFW are continuing to seek funding for the installation of the fencing. Ungulate-proof fencing is critical to the success of wildlife underpasses, and in decreasing wildlife-vehicle collisions with ungulates (Dodd et al. 2007, Huijser et al. 2016). Habitat and mitigation projects that would benefit this area include funding completion of the directional fencing for the wildlife undercrossing north of Gilchrist, installation of additional passage structures, and removal of trees along both highways to improve visibility of deer and elk for

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